Didier
Drogba will lead a vastly experienced Ivory Coast squad in the African
Nations Cup finals starting next month which includes a recall for Wigan
Athletic striker Arouna Kone.
Drogba,
Emmanuel Eboue, Didier Zokora, Boubacar Barry, Arthur Boka, Siaka Tiene
and the Toure brothers, Kolo and Yaya, head to a fifth successive
tournament.
The
widely travelled Kone, who competed at the Nations Cup finals in 2006
and 2008, is back along with Spanish-based midfielder Romaric, who has
also missed out in recent years.
Coach
Sabri Lamouchi named a squad on Thursday with just six changes from the
last edition, where the Ivorians did not concede a single goal but
finished runners-up.
Third choice goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare is the only uncapped player in the squad.
The
Ivorians are only the second of the 16 finalists to announce their
final 23-man squad for the tournament in South Africa, which starts on
Jan. 19. All squads must be finalised 10 days before the opening match.
They
are to hold a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi from Jan. 6-16 and play
a friendly against Egypt there on Jan. 14 before heading to South
Africa, where they are top seeds in Group D alongside Algeria, Togo and
Tunisia.
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